CATALOGUE OF THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 289 



The medullary rays are fairly numerous, and give a fine silver-grain 

 effect. 



Teak, Java. Tectona grandis, Linn. f. Weight, 45 lbs. 7 oz. Java. 



The suppUes of teak from Java come from the seven districts of 

 Remband, Semarang, Madioen, Sourabaya, Cheribon, Kembal, and 

 Kedire. 



From the district of Remband " Blora " teak is obtained, which is the 

 best quality obtainable in Java. The next best comes from Semarang, 

 but some from this district is not good. Madioen has some good teak, 

 but most of the timber is chalky. Sourabaya wood is not very good, 

 being Ught in colour and weight. The supphes from the remaining three — 

 Cheribon, Kembal, and Kedire — are all of inferior quality and full 

 of chalk. 



The teak tree is not indigenous to Java, but the conditions are remark- 

 ably favourable to its growth. Originally planted round the temples or 

 shrines, it has spread over a wide area in pure forest, unlike its habit in 

 Burma and India, which is that it invariably grows in mixed forest. 

 In many places a very free natural regeneration occurs, so that often 

 in a few weeks a magnificent healthy new crop of young seedlings will 

 spring up and flourish vigorously. On the other hand, the conditions 

 are not favourable to satisfactory growth in the later life of the tree, 

 which becomes stunted and will not produce the same straight boles as 

 can be found in Burma and Siam. Thus the produce of the trees is 

 of less size, and it is difficult to obtain any quantity of long timber. 

 The densely populated island of Java uses a very considerable quantity 

 of teak annually, as there are no other domestic jungle woods, such as are 

 largely used in India for all purposes, and many of which have now to be 

 imported into Java to keep up the required timber supply. There is 

 not, therefore, much prospect of any considerable export of teak in the 

 future. The effect of a change that the Government has lately made in 

 the manner of selling the timber has also restricted the volume of export. 

 Until recently, in spite of large suppUes of good quality from Java, 

 obtainable at a lower price than the Burma wood, it was found difficult 

 to overcome the prejudice against it. This was due partly to the manner 

 of description : the term Java being used to describe the whole of the 

 supphes without discrimination, whereas the quality of Blora teak was 

 good enough for the best purposes, and some of the other hardly fit for 

 common use. This difference was well understood by the Dutch at home 

 in Holland and by the shippers in Java, and better qualities commanded 

 a proportionately higher price. The very heavy rise in the value of 

 the Burma and Siam wood which has taken place during the last few 

 years, has had the result of stimulating the inquiry for Java teak, and 



